What a trip! Extremely hard to put down, unlike the poor women and girls in this novel. In a society where a woman’s only value is her ability to bear sons ( and too a far lesser extent, daughters) there isn’t much hope. Girls in their sixteenth year go to a remote location for their grace year. It is forbidden to talk about this year, so they are sorely unprepared for the dangers including the poachers just outside camp.

Sooo much happens in this book in just a little over a year! Despite this, there are some gaps in the story, perhaps for a sequel to fill in for us? Ie- Tierney our main character lives outside the camp for a number of months in the year. We only have a general idea of what has gone on in camp in that time, we also have no idea what things were like back in the colony for the year.

The ending manages to both satisfy but leave you wanting more, I want to know what will happen in many characters lives as time passes. This book is absolutely going to be a bestseller!

Overall I enjoyed The Grace Year and would recommend it to fans of the Handmaid's Tale. I thought some parts of this were really strong and I liked the worldbuilding, however, it was not clear how quickly time was moving throughout the novel which led to some confusion. I liked that it was broken up into seasons but then months moved so quickly during these seasons that some of the character and relationship development didn't feel earned.

I liked the main character Tierney and enjoyed the way she changed throughout the novel. She constantly fights against her restraints and talks a big game but then becomes terrified and unsure once she is met with consequences. I liked her relationships with the other girls in her grace year and the empowering messages for women. Strength and unity were huge themes throughout the novel.

The middle was a little meh but I think a large part of that was my confusion with the pacing and time passing.

This book was a little Handmaid's Tale, a little Hunger Games, and a little Lord of the Flies. I enjoyed the concept, but wished that the author would have gone a little deeper into the background of the town's functioning and history. Overall, the characters were engaging and the book held my interest really well throughout, though the narrative was choppy at times.

Wow. That's how you will feel after reading this book. I was intrigued by the fact that it is in the same vein as The Handmaid's Tale, and it does not disappoint. I read it over two nights - not because it was short, but because I could not put it down. Seriously, I neglected my children, husband and house so that I could finish this book. I would highly recommend it!

I went through a period where all I wanted to read were dystopian novels, but they became so popular that they started coming out in droves and the qualilty of work was not as high as some of my favorite dystopian novels, so I stopped reading them all together afer a few disappointing series. The Grace Year
sounded like it wasn't going to be the exact same book as so many other dystopian books over the last decade have been so I reluctantly picked it up. I am so glad I did. This was a breath of fresh air in the dystopian world. I absolutely couldn't put it down. It reminded me of a cross between The Giver and The Hunger Games. There were some interesting twists that I enjoyed being revealed and I thought the cliff hanger was excellent although now I can't wait for whatever is next in what will hopefully be a series! I absolutely recommend The Grace Year to anyone who enjoys dystopian fiction.

Tierney lives in a world where women are feared for the magic they innately possess. They're not allowed to gather in groups without supervision, hum, or dream. When girls are 16, they are sent away to live together for a year in an encampment far away to dispel their magic before they can rejoin the village and begin their adult lives. While they're gone, they're hunted by poachers and ghosts alike, but the most immediate danger might come from the scariest source of all...each other.

This book has shades of Lord of the Flies, a major dose of The Handmaid's Tale, as well a little bit of The Hunger Games and that M. Night Shyamalan movie, The Village. It's a feminist dystopian novel where girls/women are forced by men to see each other as the enemy until one is brave enough to unite them and make a stand. Tierney has always felt different and like she is destined to let down her family because she doesn't long for a future with a husband but for a chance to work hard and change the world. She's smart and she asks questions, and where she lives, that carries a lot of risk along with it. She's clearly a fighter who imagines a different life for herself, her sisters and her friends.

This isn't a happy book, by any means. There are some awful, gory things that happen as the girls learn to live together and try to survive their "Grace Year." Women bullying each other, ganging up on each other, extending the hand of friendship only to stab each other in the back...it's awful but it's also something every girl has experienced shades of (hopefully not to this murderous degree!) at some time or another. However, it isn't a spoiler to say that there are some that band together and choose to live differently: supporting each other against a common enemy, working together for a better future. Despite the horrors described in this story, it is, ultimately, a hopeful one.

There were a ton of twists and turns here, and I didn't see most of them coming. I couldn't put the book down because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. There are some heartbreaking losses and several parts that made me want to cheer. You will experience ALL the feels as you work your way through this book. It's a deceptively simple tale with a much deeper message, and it works exceptionally well as both a horror story AND a feminist manifesto.

I'm not completely sure exactly what happened in that ending (I need to discuss with others who've read it to see if they interpreted it as I did), but I'm thrilled that Elizabeth Banks is going to direct the movie adaptation and can't wait to see it.

A fascinating premise and terrifying but poignant execution by Kim Liggett.

**Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!**

I would have enjoyed a little more setup in the beginning so that I could better understand what sort of world I was stepping into. There was also some information left out due to time jumps, and I feel like that could have helped me get on board during the slower parts. Although even when there was a small lull, the writing was enough to keep me interested in reading on.

I am not sure what to say about this book - it was a little slow to pick up but boy when it did...it did. This is a book that will keep you thinking about the characters and way of life long after you have finished. It reminded me of hunger games but was so much more with different twists and unexpected outcomes as well as a different way of life. I had high expectations from reading g the description and find myself even more impressed than I would have originally thought. Looking forward to more by this author
.

<b>This is the feminist <i>The Hunger Games</i> meets <i>Lord of the Flies</i> you didn't know you needed.</b>

The very, very pink cover promises a frillier story within, perhaps a sweet romance included and a satisfying happy ending. What you actually open up and get is a heartbreaking, empowering, gory tale of women rebelling in their oppressive dystopian society, living in the wilderness for a year to rid themselves of the magic that makes men do stupid stuff, because <b>men are trash no matter what society you live in.</b>

Tierney James embodies the Chosen Female to the tee, many versions of Katniss Everdeens and Tris Priors within her headstrong, curious personality. She has the inner strength and endurance each female warrior needs to be the heroine of their community, along with no real regard for their own personal safety. Except Tierney is also exceptionally ignorant about the love others feel for her, and the trust and faith they've had in her since the beginning. One of the most beautiful parts of this story is the underlying, subtle unity of women rebelling throughout. Tierney isn't the first, nor the last. She may make the most drastic of statements, but the change isn't started because of a teenage girl and it certainly won't end with one. <b>What a message to send to the generations of today.</b>

I am so glad movie rights are already sold and people hired for an adaptation of this, but please God, make this a good one. I have yet to see such a unique take on this story since <i>The Hunger Games</i> itself in 2008. That may seem mainstream now, but back then it was revolutionary. <b>This will be that next game-changer, I promise.</b> I love how feminist this story is, centralizing on female friendships and relationships within. I will never tire of female friendship in stories. Nor will I tire of scary books, not just scary because they're horror genre (which this definitely is), but scary because it mirrors current society. Nothing like a book to splash that metaphorical cold water in your face!

This book is a brutal, survivalist, anxiety ridden ride that you will not be able to put down for even a second. When it comes out this fall it needs to be on your tbr cart or nightstand immediately. Also, this would be a fantastic book club pick for those interested. I buddy read it and we had MUCH to discuss and debate, some ideas still split down the middle. Easily one of the most thought-provoking reads I've come across.


TW: transphobia, homophobia, oppression, implications of sexual abuse/rape, murder, gore


<i>Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me an early copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own.</i>

This book blew me away and honestly, I'm itching to reread it as it is so I might do that! This book did everything I wanted Wilder Girls to have and more. It sparks a great discussion on the patriarchy and the pressures put on young girls and women and how often society pits us against each other. It also teaches to forgive and be kind to yourself.
It made me cry in the best way. I can't recommend this book enough, just go read it now, absolutely my favorite book of the year so far.

I loved this book.

I am a fan of dystopian novels, and this one did not disappoint.
It reminds me of quite a few novels all rolled into one, a combination of all their best parts.
Raw, violent, moving.

Will definitely read again, and am now going to check out anything written by Kim Liggett.

Pretty good. definitely could be better. I wish the different parts were broken down by chapters . the ending left me wanting a follow up to see if Grace was able to change things. 3 1/2 stars.

Take equal parts of “The Crucible”, “The Power”, and “The Hunger Games”, and you get “The Grace Year”.
This was a fascinating and compelling read. In this dystopia, Tierney wants to avoid being a wife at any cost. She has done everything in her power to make her unsuitable for a husband. She plans on being a worker, doing hard labor for the rest of her life after she returns from her grace year. Assuming that she does return. The specifics of the Grace Year is never spoken of, but they do know that they must be sent into the woods to rid themselves of their magic. Magic which has the power to compel men, and drive other women mad with envy. While no one knows what happens during the grace year, they can imagine based on the scars that cover the women who do make it back.
The plot was fantastic. I never had any idea what was going to happen or where the story was going. It certainly kept me on my toes. Tierney was a great main character, strong and selfless. The rest of the characters were well developed and memorable. This book is a great addition to the dystopian genre.

The Grace Year invoked a sense of sympathy for the women in the novel and reminded of the dire situation the women in our world experience in the face of a patriarchal society.

Pretty thrilling, alright.

It was a pretty disturbing read. There were a lot of contrast between how the girls were portrayed and how the situation really was like. For example, we were presented with lace, we were presented with flowers, and we were presented with a danger that lurked, which stood in stark contrast to that superficial feminine imagery procured by the men in the novel. That had been particularly shocking for me. Similarly, the interaction between Tierney and the rest of the girls were equally shocking. Their reaction to each other and their situation are pretty damn close to our reality in terms of how people react to liberation and progress. The Grace Year left me plenty appalled with the maltreatment of women. I wanted to scream.

However, I didn't find it the perfect book it was. While I did love the romance, I don't think that it suited the story's narrative. Another issue i have with the plot was the lack of the town's history. Given the way the book ended, maybe there would be a sequel? There's so much to unpack, I'd love for a sequel.

Also, you'd think that Tierney would kick serious ass being the badass girl she was.

Ultimately, it does not have the height of tension or horror that The Handmaid's Tale, which it has been compared to, has. And, as far as the premise go, I suppose the comparison wasn't unreasonable. Despite these slight imperfections, without a doubt, The Grace Year was a pretty fantastic read, i was rather entertained. Currently in a book slump, but I ate this all up at one go.

Considerado uma mistura de O Conto da Aia e Jogos Vorazes, The Grace Year - ou O Ano da Graça em tradução livre - foi uma leitura muito surpreendente. Cheguei a comentar com vocês que não levo muita fé quando são feitas comparações deste tipo, mas desta vez deu muito certo. The Grace Year tem a própria identidade, ele apenas bebe destas fontes de uma maneira muito inteligente e instigante.

Há poucos dias, Neal Shusterman, um dos meus autores favoritos, disse que distopias eram escritas para servirem de precaução, não para servirem de manual de instrução. Ler um livro como The Grace Year em tempos onde vemos líderes cada vez mais misóginos e machistas chegando ao poder é muito importante; importante para abrir nossos olhos, para mostrar como as coisas podem piorar se não ficarmos atentos e são não lutarmos contra todas as formas de preconceito, segregação e subjugação.

Aqui nós conhecemos o Condado de Garner, um lugar onde as mulheres são subjugadas e tratadas como seres inferiores. Sua utilidade? Casamento e procriação. Caso não haja o nascimento de um filho homem, elas são trocadas como um simples objeto com defeito. Como se não bastasse o fato de terem que se sujeitar aos desejos masculinos, elas ainda são consideradas perigosas. Meninas inocentes, são vistas como "feiticeiras" apenas por possuírem algo natural e inofensivo: feminilidade.

Assim que começam a desabrochar, as meninas são banidas. Ao invés de não desejarem meninas, de não as enxergarem como simples objetos sexuais e reprodutores, os homens do Condado de Garner as mandam embora para que, quando retornem, elas sejam apenas sombras daquilo que foram e não ofereçam o perigo da tentação. Para que elas voltem mutiladas. Traumatizadas. O quão doentio é isso? Apesar de não parecer, no meu resumo eu não contei absolutamente nada da história. Percebam que eu esmiucei a sinopse e nada mais. The Grace Year é um livro complicado de ser resenhado porque creio que muitas coisas são absorvidas de uma maneira muito pessoal, sabe? Há muitos outros pontos que eu gostaria de abordar, mas para isso eu teria que entrar em méritos muito específicos, o que comprometeria a leitura de vocês.

Tierney é uma personagem que possui uma ótima ascensão ao longo da narrativa. Ela tem um início tímido, sendo apenas a menina que queria sempre passar despercebida, até que vê todos os seus planos irem por água abaixo. Seu crescimento é gradativo, ela evolui a medida que compreende os pormenores que envolvem o ano da graça. E quando finalmente atinge seu máximo potencial, descobrimos que ela é apenas a faísca de uma revolução que não tardará.

Quando as meninas chegam ao acampamento, a história dá uma guinada e faz a gente desconfiar das nossas deduções. Pois coisas estranhas começam a acontecer e fica aquela dúvida no ar: será que é uma histeria coletiva ou será que realmente, por algum motivo, está havendo alguma manifestação mística entre elas?

Há alguns personagens secundários interessantes como Michael Welk, melhor amigo de Tierney que, por ter lutado com tanto afinco para se tornar uma candidata a esposa ruim, acabou afastando possíveis amizades femininas. Kiersten Jenkins também merece destaque, já que ela é uma das que acreditam veementemente no objetivo do Ano da Graça e não possui um caráter muito admirável. Outra menina que possui uma função interessante dentro da história é Gertrude Fenton, que é rejeitada por ser diferente e acaba criando um vínculo bonito com Tierney ao longo da história. E por último temos Ryker, que é uma pessoa muito importante na jornada de Tierney, mas não posso dizer o porquê. 🙊

The Grace Year será lançado no início de outubro e eu recebi a ARC através da NetGalley. O livro não possui capítulos, o que deixa a leitura um pouco mais lenta. Como as meninas passam um ano fora, a história é dividida em estações - outono, inverno, primavera, verão - e ainda há um capítulo mostrando o retorno delas ao Condado. A história é narrada por Tierney e em alguns momentos não há muitos diálogos, mas eu não me incomodei com este detalhe. Eu só não favoritei o livro porque algumas coisinhas mereciam um aprofundamento maior, outras poderiam ter sido melhor explicadas, mas essas pequenas ressalvas de forma nenhuma desmerecem o todo, que é ótimo.

I’m glad I stuck with this, because after accidentally reading spoilers about the ending, it was almost a DNF. I’ll admit that the first portion of the book was really hard to get into and dragged a lot. I think the biggest reason is because the book is split into four parts, but there’s no chapters. So it became really hard to find a good stopping spot since it seemed like the book would just go on and on and on. The middle got much better, and I started to enjoy the story by the last third of the book.

The Grace Year is the year during which the sixteen-year-old girls from the village are banished to a remote location to live on their own. During this time they are to rid themselves of their magic so that they can return purified and prepared for a marriage as obedient and compliant wives.

No one ever speaks about what happens in the camp during the year and many of the girls who go do not return. There are dangers from poachers in the woods who wish to make black market money by snatching any of the girls. And there are also the dangers that come from within the camp because the girls must survive living with one another.

When Tierney James reaches her sixteenth year, she it bound to go to the grace year camp. However, Tierney is not the typical grace year participant. She wishes for more than to be a silent partner in a marriage. In fact she doesn’t wish to marry at all. Tierney is adventurous and bold and is not very accepting of the grace year rules. So soon after the girls reach the camp, Tierney finds herself an outcast because the girls make her a bullied scapegoat for their pettiness and anger. She must use all of her skills not only to maintain her principals but also to stay alive.

This dystopian novel takes a unique look at the relationships not only between men and women but also among the sixteen-year-old girls, as they are becoming women. There is anger, jealousy, and brutality in the complex relationships among the girls. However, the end result is a bonding and friendship that points to the possibility that their society might be about to change.

The book is about women who have to prove their worth to live in a male dominated society. And it is a story of the need to survive the grace year, with many of the incidents and experiences from the year being quite graphic, disturbing and violent.

Characterizations are true to life even though the society is a dystopian one. As in the everyday world, there are leaders and followers and quiet girls and bold girls with all of the complexities of teenage relationships. The main character, Tierney, represents a strong female character. Most teenage girls will relate to her struggles to be accepted by her peers. Another grace year girl, Kiersten, will be recognized as the tough influential bully who creates a constant state of turmoil.

The isolated and creepy setting of the grace year camp helps to draw the reader into the plot. The plot that is woven around the girls and their need to survive the grace year moves briskly with just enough intrigue and a little bit of romance to interest the intended YA audience.

The book has a satisfying conclusion for it gives a glimmer of hope that a better future awaits the new group of girls who are starting out for their grace year. And it alludes to the potential changes that may take place in the village that may serve to improve the lives of the women who live there.

The book is not for the squeamish as during grace year exile, there are many instances of bloody injuries and even death. And as such it is a recommended read for the mature YA reader who is not offended by such content.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC galley of this book.

I finished this book nearly a week ago and I still find myself thinking about it. This book and the world within it are just absolutely brutal. The setting is a dystopian community in which women are property first of their fathers and then if they're lucky enough to get one, their husbands. However, first they must survive the grace year. All the girls entering their sixteenth year are rounded up and sent deep into the woods to release their magic and survive the year before they're allowed back into the community. Any girls trying to escape are quickly hunted down by poachers who skin the grace year girls and dismember them to sell their magical body parts on a black market.

Tierney is our main character in The Grace Year. She's been allowed to be a little more wild than her sisters. She grew up learning from her father, the closest thing he had to a son. She has no desire to become a wife and with only twelve eligible boys and thirty-three girls entering their grace year Tierney is hoping to get her wish to work in the fields if she survives her grace year. Her best friend Michael may have other plans for her. I really struggled with my feelings for Michael, he really seemed to be that "nice guy" character. Though he's not present for much of the book he has an amazing line in the end that just really elevated him in my mind. Also, I can't write this review without talking about her. I love a good character that I can just love to hate, those truly awful characters. Look no further than Kiersten in this book. She is such a brutal monster and yes there are some reasons for the worst of it but in the end, she's just not a nice person and I loved reading scenes with her in them.

Plot wise it's a little hard to talk about this book. There's a lot of mystery surrounding the grace year. The girls have no idea what to expect going in all they know is that girls leave healthy and those that manage to come back, come back scarred and emaciated. I will say that I found a lot of the reveals surrounding various elements of the grace year easy to guess at. They're all pretty obvious once given any amount of thought. However, I don't really think they were meant to be big shocking reveals, more confirmations of the reader's suspicions. Though there was one big reveal near the end of the novel that I had not guessed at and was incredibly shocked by. As a bit of a final thought, because I had read it recently, I couldn't help comparing this novel to Wilder Girls. Both novels were compared to Lord of Flies and both have a mystery/horror element going on. This I found much more brutal. There's much more comradery in Wilder Girls and in The Grace Year the girls are often each other's worst enemies. I really enjoyed this book and it's made more interested to look into Kim Liggett's other works.

//The things we do to girls. Whether we put them on pedestals only to tear them down, or use them for parts and holes, we're all complicit in this. But everything touches everything else, and I have to believe that some good will come out of all this destruction.//

So far, this is my favorite book that I have read this year. And I feel like it's going to be a hard one to top. Maybe for a few years. That may sound extreme but this book was haunting and beautiful, where the lines between the two completely blurred. When I was not actively reading, The Grace Year was all I could think about. It invaded my dreams, swept me so completely into the story that I had no choice but to put my life on hold and read. It moved me; my emotions were all over the place- anger, fear, kinship with these women, joy, pride, understanding. And in the end, I was changed. How many books can truly change you?

At first I felt like I was reading some cross between The Handmaid's Tale, Lord of the Flies, and Hunger Games. And while those similarities (particularly Handmaid's & Lord) are very on point, The Grace Year ultimately was something completely its own. Something built of love, bravery, fear, and rebellion. And while those themes may be familiar to the aforementioned works, this is a masterpiece all its own.

The Grace Year takes place in a dystopian world setting both very unlike and alarmingly like our own. Women are believed to be creatures of such power that they must be controlled, owned. It is believed that they are full of magic that must be released or their power will grow too strong, it will cause them to do horrible things. It is believed this magic can drive men mad, among other things. Even dreaming is forbidden, a sign that the magic lingers. The power they hold is too great. So they must be rid of it.

The title reflects a one year period, when the girls of the village are in their sixteenth year, during which they are sent to a remote encampment to release their magic into the wild. To get it out of their system.

But speaking of the grace year is forbidden. More women leave than return, and the ones that do return are broken. Some missing fingers or ears, some with badly visible scars... some broken internally. Many pick their lives up, build their families, move on to be the wife and child-bearer to their husband- the owner that claimed them by no choice of their own. But some are not so 'lucky'. But what happens to them, we don't know. Not until we make the journey ourselves, not until the doors of the encampment close and we are left alone with just our magic and each other. But which will choose to be the greater obstacle?

//"In the country, everything they take away from us is a tiny death. But not here..." She spreads her arms out, taking a deep breath. "The grace year is ours. This is the one place we can be free. There's no more tempering our feelings, no more swallowing our pride. Here we can be whatever we want. And if we let it all out," she says, her eyes welling up, her features softening, "we won't have to feel those things anymore. We won't have to feel at all."//

The story is beyond gripping, told in a way that holds nothing back. Liggett paints a vivid and often very horrifying picture without skimping on any of the details. Her characters are multi-faceted, even the ones that seem cut and dry at first. There is so much more to these characters than face value.

I'm dancing carefully around my words as I genuinely think this is not one to read spoilers for... but please do read it. You may not love it as much as I did, but it will take you so far outside your comfort zone but in a very needed way. I challenge you to let yourself truly feel as you read this, to put yourself in the shoes of these women and all that came before them and those destined to come after. The parallels to what young women face around the world are shockingly clear, I found myself relating to many of the characters throughout the story, each in unique ways. Myself and everyone woman I know have faced many of he challenges in this story. That is not the 'fantasy' part.

I wept, full on wept. I thought. I wrote. This is the kind of novel that I recommend to anyone- all ages, walks of life, and most importantly- genders. This is one that I think will be important not just for women, but men, too.

//"We hurt each other because it's the only way we're permitted to show our anger. When our choices are taken from us, the fire builds within. Sometimes I feel like we might burn down the world to cindery bits, with our love, our rage, and everything in between."//

*4.5 - will be posted on my blog http://pastmidnight.home.blog on August 7, 2019*

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this eArc.

I just wanted to get through two chapters and fall asleep because it was already past 10pm. But what happened? Five hours later, at 3 in the morning I was done with the book! 👀 And by the way, that book cover depicts this story so well – it’s pretty pink with petal outline designs and then that dripping red ribbon. This is not a sweet story, it is dark. This book kind of terrified me. Kid you not, the first thing I muttered after I finished the book was “that was so f-ed up”. 😅

I do not ever want to live in the world The Grace Year takes place in. No woman should ever have to live in a place like that.

But what is the grace year? It’s a year where a group of sixteen year old girls get sent to an encampment to rid themselves of their “magic”…because it’s what makes them crazy. Uh huh. 😕 They have to exorcise the magic out of themselves or die trying.

Every year girls get sent outside of the county where there are poachers, tales of ghosts haunting the woods and girls and women who live on the outskirts of the county because they were thrown out. Not all the girls come back home, and when they do come back, most come back very different from who they were before.

Tierney James, is sixteen and all she wants is freedom. But it’s finally her time to experience the grace year and when she’s there, all hell breaks loose. Think…Lord of the Flies. 😳

Horrible things start to happen, but was it because of real magic in the girls? Was it the beginnings of insanity? Was it ghosts really roaming around haunting them? And then there are poachers that want to take girl’s parts waiting in the woods. NOPE.. Nope, I would not survive the grace year at all. Tierney has to survive the girls, the poachers, the woods, and even herself if she wants to ever see her family again.

The story is fast paced, raw and gritty, and it doesn’t shy away from violence and blood. It paints a picture of how the men in this county view girls and women like chattel, or should I say, like cattle? They prey on the women, both the poachers and the men in the county. 😠 I had many “Oh hell NO” moments while reading this book, I was so pissed off.

Tierney’s journey in this book is nothing short of a miracle. It is heartbreaking, but in the end there is hope and I even teared up. The message in the book is powerful. Women are stronger, together, not tearing one another apart. There’s a multitude of issues that this book touches on.

The Grace Year is a riveting and brutal story about women’s place in society and how we survive and the fight to endure and try and change the system.